England has no room for error in Sri Lanka
' This was an eye- opener and a wake- up call and with two more tours on the subcontinent coming up, things won't get easier,' said Andrew Strauss after a 3- 0 defeat to Pakistan was wrapped last Monday.
But, really, it should get easier next month in Sri Lanka. Since the retirement of Muttiah Muralitharan, England's next hosts have won one of 17 Tests. That is not the performance of a front- line nation and the new rankings confirm as much.
Fifth- placed Pakistan are as close to the top ( England, since you ask) as to sixthplaced Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are as close to the West Indies as to Pakistan in the same table.
There is clearly a gulf in class between the top five and bottom two main Test nations; Mahela Jayawardene's men are the odd ones out, fitting neither category
comfortably, but are now arguably slipping the wrong side of the divide.
The absence of Muralitharan, the lack of a new generation of players to replace the golden one now straddling retirement, and increasingly absurd political mismanagement (former coach Geoff Marsh's tenure was shorter than your average Thilan Samaraweera’s knock) puts Sri Lanka in decline.
With three Tests apiece against Sri Lanka and the Windies, Strauss could hardly have it gentler to rebuild from the UAE debacle and face South Africa in July. The Proteas at Lord's ought to have been their next proper match.
Two things have changed in that equation over the last three weeks against Pakistan.
First, England lost wickets so cheaply to spin that they would struggle to post competitive totals in the Bangladeshi Premier League.
Rangana Herath is no Saeed Ajmal but he doesn't need to be. It should not be impossible for any Test bowler to replicate Abdur Rehman's technique and so his success against batting this poor. Sri Lanka may be ordinary but England may obligingly come down to their level.
Second, the Sri Lanka series now takes on a far greater significance for England. Strauss and Andy Flower will have had one eye on a two- year cycle for the Test team with the defining series at home to South Africa and away to India this year and then back- to- back Ashes in 2013. Both may even intend to quit at that point. If the Pakistan series had gone as expected - with 2500 runs scored for the loss of nine wickets and one fast bowler on either side dying of over-exertion - then that'd be fine as far as the legacy and long- term planning were concerned.
Even a 1- 0 defeat in a dire attritional series after one session of madness would have been forgivable. No team is defined by one series and previous results in the UAE suggested this wouldn't even be a proper match-up.
But now England has no room for error. If they lose in Sri Lanka, still a difficult place to visit even when the home team is weak, then the momentum built up over the last three years will be lost.
They will go into the West Indies series, on recent evidence, a totally meaningless event, with question marks over Strauss's place in the team and then the unsatisfyingly short D'oliveira Trophy series when poor form, low confidence and a reputation for fielding would be fatal.
After each defeat in this series I have argued against the hysterical reaction that this England team is overrated and mediocre.
I stand by that opinion after defeat to an intelligent and ruthless Pakistan team in familiar surroundings.
But if there follows more of the same in Sri Lanka it won't just be harder to defend England as a serious outfit, it will be impossible.
That's the reality for Strauss. The task should be easier in Sri Lanka. But the stakes are that much higher. And unless England improve, it won't be easy enough.